


What I'd Do

by Neece_E_Love05



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: 1st ever smut attempt, Anal Sex, Brotherly Bonding, Disobeying Orders, M/M, Oral Sex, Pouty Thor, Thor likes to cuddle, Top Loki, Violence, bruce/loki friendship (kinda), but he means well, christmas cheer, good loki (eventually), i use a lot of commas, loki + avengers bonding, loki sometimes obliges him, odin isnt the best dad, supermom frigga
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-16
Updated: 2013-07-23
Packaged: 2017-12-20 08:18:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/885057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neece_E_Love05/pseuds/Neece_E_Love05
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki is brought before the Asgardian Tribunal after his failed attempt to conquer Earth.  His punishment, a thousand years in Svartalfheim, realm of the dark elves, where he will be subject to any and all kind of mental torment they see fit. Frigga, refusing to sit idly plots with Thor, and Loki ends up instead on Midgard with Thor deemed his keeper. Add The Avengers into the mix and you're in for one hell of a ride.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Loki Odinson; Second Prince Of Asgard, son of Odin Allfather and Queen Frigga. Today, you have been brought before the Tribunal to answer for your crimes against Asgard and Midgard."

Loki would have laughed outright or smirked at the very least if it weren't for the ghastly contraption fastened around his mouth, so tight, he was sure he'd be left with impressions of the offending metal. If he ever got it off. So Loki continued to kneel in the dew laced grasses of the courtyard, hands and feet bound with heavy chains that sucked every drop of magic from his very being. The man in front him, a well known aristocrat, though Loki could not recall his name at the moment, continued to ramble on and soon enough his voice had become but a mere drone in the back of his mind. The young sorcerer took the time to assess his surrounding with calculative eyes. All of Asgard seemed to have gathered to partake in the spectacle: men, women, children, dogs. Most wore faces written with hate, some with fear, few with pity, but none uttered a word in this moment. If he was being honest he'd say the silence, no, the  _atmosphere in general_ was terrifyingly ominous. The wind blew gently, the birds chirped, the sky; perfectly painted with the purest of clouds and a brilliant sun, flowers of all different colors and sizes in full bloom. It screamed paradise, minus the pack of ravenous wolves swarming him, waiting for his head on a silver platter. The urge to laugh again bubbled in the pit of his stomach, but it quickly settled when he turned his head to the right meeting eyes with his moth...Frigga's. Elegant as always, she stood near her husband Odin, lips set in a tight stern line, hands clasped stiffly in front of her. She was looking off into the distance, seemingly apathetic to the events taking place, but upon further inspection he noticed that her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. He turned away quickly, not too fond of the sensation building in his chest, and cast his gaze towards the ground. Though he'd never admit, and sometimes reprimanded himself for it, he'd never been able to harness the same magnitude of hate as he did for the rest of Asgard against Frigga. He still remembers times as a child when she would take him on walks with her through the garden, and they'd make up adventures of their own so he wouldn't be too sad about not being invited to go on real ones like Thor did. He remembers Frigga reading to him at night when he had troubles sleeping or sneaking him desserts when Odin would punish him for pranking whichever unsuspecting victim grabbed his attention. Pushing the thoughts aside he looked up again, this time in search for Thor. To his surprise he found the blonde brute nowhere in sight. Not that his presence mattered anyway... but then the aristocrat's words were pushing their way back into the foreground.

"Loki Odison, son of Odin Allfather and Queen Frigga", the man spoke with a gravelly voice, "From this day, we hereby banish you to Svartalfheim, realm of the dark elves, where you will lie in slumber for ten centuries at their mercy."

An involuntary shudder runs through Loki's body as the crowd brakes into hushed mutterings. Most Asgardian kids grew up hearing tales of the dark elves, but only few could say they come face to face with one.

_One night, Loki lay in bed staring up at the ceiling as he usually did when he couldn't fall asleep. He heard a knock on the door, followed by the head of Helen, one of the maids, peeking in._

_"It's time for bed young prince." she spoke softly._

_"I'm not even tired yet Helen!" the boy whined._

_She chuckled, stepping in fully now. "Trouble sleeping?"_

_"No." he grumbled stubbornly. It was sort of the truth. It wasn't so much that he had trouble getting to sleep, but that he was **afraid** to. Lately he'd been having terrifying dreams, dreams that sometimes left him trembling and wide eyed in bed for the remainder of the night. He settled on keeping the knowledge to himself, not wanting to worry his mother and not wishing to look even weaker than he already did to his father._

_"You know on Midgard, when they have trouble sleeping they use a little trick called "Counting Sheep." Helen offered._

_"Counting sheep?"_

_"Yep. Just imagine a white picket fence in your mind, then sheep jumping over it one by one, but make sure to keep count. It's supposed to help you relax."_

_"What's a fence?"_

_"It's kind of like a gate but shorter. You know what sheep are right?" she teased._

_"Of course." he shot back, sticking his tounge out at her._

_She laughed softly then set to tucking the young boy in._

_"Shall I turn on the night light?" she asked once she was done._

_"Helen, I'm 8 now, only babies are afraid of the dark."_

_"How brave you are", she chuckled and Loki couldn't help but puff his chest out a bit. "but you know, there's nothing wrong with being afraid of the dark, even some adults are."_

_"Really, like who?"_

_"Myself for one."_

_"Why?"_

_"It's harder to perceive in the dark. To determine what's real and fake, who's an enemy and who's a friend, the right path or the wrong one. And one wrong move can be the difference between life and death."_

_Loki hummed in acknowledgement and flipped on his side._

_"Sweet dreams." And with that she turned on her heels, switching the lights off on her way out._

~~~

_Loki had been asleep at most an hour when he was woken by the sound of heavy footsteps trudging across the wooden floor. He sat up in bed, scanning the room with wary. The moon's glow lit up the space in an almost eery fashion, and he couldn't help but shiver. There was one corner that the moon's light did not touch though, and the darkness that festered there was so deafening, so deep, so thick, it seemed to be breathing. Then two, fiery, red eyes emerged from it suddenly, catching his own gaze instantly. He sat up straighter and slid back slowly until he was touching the headboard, breaths leaving him in harsh spurts. The eyes continued to pierce through him, not blinking once. Then it moved forward into the path of the moon's rays, the bottom portion of it's face and a bit of its left arm and foot now visible. The creature's chin was unnaturally pointed, it's skin, covered in small sores, held a greenish tint to it. Slowly it posed its mouth into a wicked grin that would have without doubt stretched ear to ear revealing long, sharp, rotten teeth. Loki pulled his blankets futher up his body, trying to hide himself, and the creature obviously amused, let out a gruff chuckle._

_"Who are you?" he asked against his better judgement._

_It stopped imediately, titled it head as if contemplating something, then let that wicked smile fall back into place._

_"Me?" came a near growl, "I'm your worst nightmare."  Then it proceeded to let loose the most horrid shriek Loki had ever heard, and the next thing he knew, he was desperately banging on his mother's chamber door, tears streaming down his face._

_"Loki, darling, what's wrong?" Frigga demanded, concern lacing her voice, but he could do nothing but fling himself into her arms. When she had finally coaxed him out of his state of panic, she pulled him into her lap and listened quietly as he told his story, beginning to end. When he was finished, she hugged him closer to her chest and told him  all about the creatures known as "dark elves", and how they snuck into the beds of people at night when they were sleeping, whispering curses in their ears, causing them torment, and how they'd turn to stone if they stepped in the sunlight, and Loki, comforted by his mothers soft voice, fell asleep in her arms just like that._

"Is it that the Tribunal all are in accord that the fate proposed is fit a punishment?" The aristocrat looked to his right where four members of the panel sat next to him, then to his left where the other four sat. They all nodded their head in agreement, sneering at Loki in the process. Then the courtyard was stone silent and everyone watched Odin with expectant eyes. He had the final say.

"As it is written, so shall it be done." And with that he struck the earth with his rod, and the air exploded with a multitude of cheers and jeers alike. Frigga turned on her heels, quickly escaping the crowd and Loki could not find in him to be even the least bit upset.  As he looked after her retreating figure, something akin to _remorse_ washed over him, and his eyes began to sting. He blinked hard and the sensation disapeared. He would not have these people thinking they'd finally broken him. 

"Take him to Heimdall." Odin's voice boomed over the crowd. Valstagg and Fandral appeared at his side instantly, jerking him to his feet roughly. He was shoved forward, Odin following closely behind, and the still cheering crowd coming after. He marched onward noticing everything and nothing all at once. 

"So this is it?" he thought to himself. "I lost. Now I must pay a losers price."

"Svartalfheim." he heard Odin say to the gatekeeper.

"Yes My King." Heimdall replied with a scratchy voice.

Heimdall sets to preparing the portal and Loki is turned around to face Odin. It's the first time he's truely looked at him since the beginning of the "trial". He looks aged and tired. Tough break. The Allfather reaches into his pocket and retracts, clutching a handful of golden dust that Loki isn't familiar with. He brings his hand to his son's nose, sighs when he realizes there will be no cooperation without force, and nods to Valstagg, who shoves Loki's head down abruptly. The need for oxygen becomes to great and Loki has no other choice but to breath in the substance. He holds back a cough, because it's not like the muzzle they've given him would permit the room for it anyway, and raises his gaze back to Odin's. If looks could kill, he'd be a pile of ashes at Loki's feet.

"Know that I've always loved you, My Son." the elder says softly. Loki searches his eyes and he doesn't see lies, but he doesn't see truth either.

"My King" Heimdall calls. Loki turns his back to Odin without another word and makes his way toward the vortex seemingly materializing out of thin air. Valstagg and Fandral don't accompany him; it'd be purposeless anyway. There's no running now. The portal opens wider, his eyelids feel heavier, and his mind turns groggier. Must be the dust. Potent. He inches closer and closer, the weight of the chains five times heavier now that he's slipping out of consciousness. When he's no more but a step away, he peers inside and see nothing but darkness, and for a split second he is reminded of when he fell into the abyss. The fear is stifling, but he swallows it down, because he refuses to give the Asgardian twits the satisfaction of seeing him squirm. So he lets his eyes drift shut, and dives in.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my mind, Thor is an overgrown ball of fluff (who can sometimes also be sassy, and even dangerous when needed) ^^ This chapter took SO LONG to write, and now I'm exhausted so please excuse any mistakes (or anything that doesn't make sense) I may have made in my sleepiness. Good night now :)

"Loki? Loki, are you alright?"

The words sound garbled and rushed, but a certain familiarity sticks to them; one that dances on the tip of his tongue, but he cannot place. He feels oddly comforted despite the fact.

"Loki can you hear me?"

They're more distinct this time, but now each syllable echoes obnoxiously loud inside his head. It hurts, and he rolls on to his side, a low groan slipping past his lips. He clenches his eyelids tight and grits his teeth, trying to concentrate on anything but the pain.

"Brother?"

He bolts upright, which turns out to be a terrible idea because now everything's spinning and for a second his thinks he might vomit. There, not three feet from him is Thor, God of Thunder. He sits with his legs tucked under him, regarding Loki inquisitively.

"Thor?" he croaks, then startles, just now registering his free range of movement. The weight that bore heavy on his ankles and wrists, gone, and when he brings shaky fingers to where his mouth should be, he's met with flesh instead of metal. His pinky holds a silver band ring, engraved with what resemble ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. In its center lay a sparkling emerald gem, fearsomely radiating varied hues of green. He gets the feeling this is going to be one of those "No Matter How Hard You Try, It's Not Coming Off" types of situation, and he sighs because, really?, this is starting to get a little old. It's evident that the ring is cutting off a good portion of his power, but it's perferable to bulky shackles, so he'd declare it a win. Limited magic was better than no magic at all.

Then accounts of the previous unfolding events rush back to him and he looks up at "Thor" with scornful sights.

"Even in my sleep I can't escape you." the Norse god thinks bitterly. "You're not real." he then accuses aloud.

"Of course I am." Thor reaches forward in an attempt to prove himself but Loki jerks away violently, like a mob would a leper.

Loki turns his attention to the world around him. The land is cluttered with weeds and wild shrub, and Loki determines it to be what the Midgardians would call a desert. It's not quite night yet, but the sky is a deep tone of blue and stars have begun to peek through, ready for play.

"Brother, I fool you not." Thor persists. It's obvious he's trying to school his features, so they don't give away just how hurt he is at being rejected so harshly, but his eyes tell everything. They always have.

And Loki detests  _that_ look. He makes up his mind that he'll kill Thor the first chance he gets because a thousand years is a long a long time, and he can take a lot: torture, humiliation, loneliness, but he **can't** take _that_. Then he remembers he isn't on his own turf anymore and deems killing Thor purposeless overall because if the dark elves want him there, they'll have him there.

"Get away from me." 

"Brother..." the warrior pleads.

"I am no brother of yours. Not to the real Thor or the imposter that stands before me." he spits.

The God of Thunder shuts his mouth with a snap (and damnit, there's _that_ look again) and rises to his feet, dusting the sand off his jeans.

"I don't know why we even bother." His voice is shaky, his eyes glassy, but he continues. "You're never going to change."

"We?" he questions, feeling silly because none of this is even real.

"Mother... I mean Frigga" Thor corrects bitterly, "Frigga and I have been planning this for months."

"Planning what?"

"Your escape! You ungrateful little..." comes the near shout, frustration apparent.

"Nonsense."

"Whether you believe it or not, Mother has and always will think of you as her son. There was no way she'd let them..." Thor fades out, turning his back to Loki.

Nothing is said and Loki begins to consider this actually not being a dream because if it is, really, he was expecting more. He hopes that doesn't come back to bite him in the ass later.

"Why would you do that?" he manages after some time.

"Because I care about you!" Thor yells, whipping back around to face the younger. He's looks at Loki like he can't fathom how one person can be so dense and Loki gets defensive.

"Care about me? You didn't even have the decency to attend my sentencing!" Blood is boiling, he finds himself up on his feet in a matter of seconds along with Thor.

"Well I'm sorry if I didn't fancy watching my own brother strung up and put on display like some circus freak!"

"We.Are.Not.Brothers."

A punch is thrown, and the God of Mischief ends up back in his original spot on the ground, rubbing his now tender jaw.

"Do you have even the slightest idea what I've risked for you, and would gladly do so again without the slightest hesitation?" Thor's breathing is labored and the tears he'd been trying to hold back run freely down his face. His swipes at them angrily, then glares at the ground because he's too embarrassed to look anywhere else. "Mother and I both."

The silence between them is deafening, stretching for seems like eternity. Tears cease, pains dull, breaths even, and an unspoken truce is formed amidist the two siblings, if only temporarily.

"Where are we?"

"New Mexico." Thor sniffles.

"Midgard?"

"I have many duties to tend to on this planet. It's the easiest way to keep an eye on you and continue to carry out my responsibilities."

"What are you, my keeper now?" It's a bit rye he'll admit.

"The fact that you lead a full scale Jotun invasion to Earth, destroyed half of Manhattan, and killed hundreds of people in the process still remains. Oh and let's not forget you've organized several attempts against Asgard and its people. We can't just let you off the hook. You've made your choices and now you must face the consequences."

"And that's were this comes in?" Loki asks sarcastically, raising the hand that's was decorated with the ring.

"Mother made it herself."

Suddenly, Loki leans over to the side and retches up black colored bile.

"Heimdall said that would happen."

"You're telling me Heimdall, the gatekeeper, plays a part in all of this." He scoffs unbelievingly, then wipes his mouth with the tattered cloth of his sleve. "Lest you forgot, I froze Heimdall, alive. I'd be willing to bet my head that if I happened to be set ablaze right before his eyes, he wouldn't spit in my dirrection."

"Perhaps so, but you know he's always had a soft spot for Mother."

Thor shivers from the cold and Loki is sure he would too if it weren't for the Jotun blood pumping through his veins.

"So now what?"

"We spend the night at a hotel, then in the morning we go meet a few friends of mine."

He's tempted to demand further clarification on these "friends" of Thor, but the promise a proper place to rest (which he hasn't had for a long time) is enough to make him drop it. So he stands to his feet, waiting for the other to lead the way.

* * *

Thor tells him everything. Loki settles on the sofa that furnishes the single bed, luxury, suit they currently reside in (Thor only had a hand full of gold coins, so this was the best he could manage), while Thor situates himself cosily on the plush carpet. He starts his story with Frigga secretly overhearring Odin and the Tribunal muttering in hushed voices one night. The Tribunal were out for blood, insisting banishment to Svartalfheim the only punishment that would suffice for the crimes committed in the case of Loki. He continues on, speaking of how in the 5 months to follow, he and Frigga spend nearly every waking moment plotting, working out every flaw and kink, so as to make sure everything flow seamlessly when the time finally came. He mentions how Frigga sweet-talked the keys to Loki's chains out of Odin, then how he himself traveled to several different realms looking for the ingredients required for the craft Loki's ring, and then a witch who could duplicate a milder version of the sleeping powder.

Thor goes on and by the end of it all he can do it take in the newly aquired knowledge as best he can, and to be honest, it's nauseating. He done nothing but cause trouble for these two, Thor especially, and yet they still have the heart to go through all this...for him. The thought is unsettling.

"Asgard could have your, as well as her head if they'd known what you've done." and one might be as brave to say the Norse god sounded apologetic, but who would be so brave.

"What's a matter? Worried?" Thor teases because he'd like to avoid the topic.

Loki neither agrees nor refutes the claim.

"Do not fret broth...Loki. Let's rest now."

"You're too trusting Thor. How can you be sure I won't run away once you've fallen asleep?"

"You don't have enough magic to cause any serious damage."

"For now. My current predicament, however troublesome it may be, could not stop me from escaping if I really wanted to."

"True. But what would be the point? I'd find you. Don't I always?"

He doesn't reply, opting instead to lay down on the couch fully, tucking his hands beneath his head. He slowly allows his lids to drift shut.

"You could have the bed you know?" Thor says almost timidly from his spot on the floor.

Loki cracks an eye open, agitated that he's being kept from slumber. "Then where would you sleep? This couch is far too small to accommodate a man of your stature."

"It's a king size, so if you didn't mind sharing..." Thor starts.

"No. Go to sleep." He knows where this is going, and the idea in itself is  ludicrous.

"Oh ok... see you in the morning then. Sweet dreams."

Loki doesn't reply.

Thor gets up with a long, self-pitying sigh. The kind of sigh you use when you're trying to guilt trip someone into giving you what you want. 

Loki flips on his side, towards the inside of the sofa, brow twitching in irritation when he hears the sound of Thor's feet dragging sullenly across the carpet. He gives it his earnest effort, but he can't help imagining how the god must look right about now. The results generated are something akin to a kicked puppy. Shoulders drooped, eyes downcast, bottom lip quivering... The noise stops, the lights flicker off, and then it resumes as Thor complete the journey to the bedroom, exiting with another of his signature (heart-wrenching) sighs, and closes the door softly behind him.

Loki flips on his other side, willing his brain to just shut up and let him sleep, but of course his request go ignored. He is a "bad guy" for pete's sake and bad guys do not fall prey to the pouting's of overgrown teddy bears.

Then he hears the bedroom door open again and Thor's fore lone steps making their way to the kitchen.

"Don't mind me, I'm just getting some water before I go back to bed. All by my lonesome." and Loki is so pissed that it's even _possible_ to soundso utterly wrecked, that he jumps up and stomps towards the kitchen, intending to give the Asgardian one very strong tongue lashing, concerning his childish antics. But then gets there, and Thor looks exactly as he'd imagined, down to the "T". And of course, the words he'd meant to say are inevitably lost in his throat.

"Fine!" he yells forfeiting, and the blonde's whole disposition switches to cheery in a matter of seconds. Loki feels a little dissapointed in himself because when they were kids, Thor would've have had to atleast pull out the "puppy dog eyes" before his gave in. The boisterous man drags him off, and he has to admit the bed is far more comfortable when he slips beneath the blankets. Thor slips in after, at least five inches apart when he's finally settled. 

"Loki?" he calls after a while.

"What?" he grits.

Thor make a whining noise in the back of his throat, and Loki doesn't know why he bothered ask in the first place because he already knows the answer. He rolls his eyes, turns on his side, and raises one arm up. Thor takes up the offer immediately and snuggles closer to his side, then proceeds to tuck his head under the sorcerers chin. He hesitantly throws an arm over Loki's waist, and when he's sure he won't be hit for it, hums contentedly.

"You're too old for this kind of behavior." the Jotun chastises, letting his arm fall awkwardly over the other's shoulder, then maneuvers his chin atop the blonde locks in a position he findds to his likings. It's not the first time, but it's been a very long time since they've indulged themselves in this type of physical affection, or any affection at all. Soon enough, Thor's light snores are filling the space around them.

"This is ridiculous." he thinks to himself. He contemplates sneaking back into the living room, remembering how deep of a sleeper Thor was as a child, and probably still is, but when pulls back just enough to see the face of the man curled up against him; expression serene and lips slightly parted, he decides to stay. Nothing to do with the fact that Thor wins first place for cutest sleeping look ever, and everything to do with not having slept in a proper bed for the last five months, and in retrospect earning himself atleast one night of relaxation. So with that burden off his chest, he tightens his hold around the 1st prince ever so slightly and lets himself be lulled off to dreamland.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asgard has double standards :/, the Tribunal suck, the Avengers are coincidentally in uniform, and I'd like a tuna fish sandwich. Pardon any mistakes I may have made, I'm far from perfect.

He's alone when he wakes up the next morning.

He squints in attempts to shield virgin eyes from the harsh rays of light that intrude, then pushes the sheets down and off his body, freeing his thin frame. Nothing appears out of order; though he is curious about where to Thor's wandered. As if cued, said God of Thunder pokes his head through the door, smiling gently when he catches sight of the young Jotun. Dressed in a pair of faded straight-legged jeans, a checkered 'button down' whose sleeves stop just after the elbow, and work boots, Thor steps into the room fully.

"Rest well?"

Loki nods wordlessly and moves to sit upright. "What time is it?"

"Nearly 1. I hadn't pegged for one to sleep in, but I guess with everything that's happened lately it's only natural. Plus, it'll probably be a few more days before the potion is completely out of your system."

He swings his legs off the edge of the bed, as Thor makes his way over to the corner of the room where an army green backpack leans against the wall. He digs through it, emerging with a set of sweatpants and a short sleeved shirt.

"They won't fit properly, but they're better than the rags you've got now so..." he offers sheepishly.

Loki can't deny Thor's got a point, so he rises from the bed and accepts the articles of clothing before him. He makes a grunting noise that may or may not be something akin to appreciation, which brings about the blonds irritatingly upbeat expression.

"I stepped out earlier to pick up lunch, so once you're cleaned and fed we'll leave."

"Where are we going?"

"To see some friends of mine."

Intuition encourages further investigation, but then his stomach rumbles with a fierceness to be matched, and his wary is abandoned by the wayside.

Thor chuckles, afterwards leaving the second prince to tend to himself in private. Thirty minutes later Loki debuts in the parlour looking far too Midgardian for his own tastes. The shirt fits well enough, but he'd had to adjust the drawstrings  _and_ fold the waist band over itself several times to keep the bottoms put. He makes his way to the dinner table where Thor sets, what the people of this realm call a 'burrito' in front of him, before returning to lean against the kitchen counter. It's massive; stuffed full with no less than a dozen different ingredients. To his delight (and Thor's) it's absolutely mouth-watering.

"Loki?" he called when he's about three quarters finished with his meal. Thor still leans against against the counter top, fidgeting as if debating whether he should continue or not. "Thanks." 

There's an unspoken conversation taking place between the two siblings, and it leaves the Jotun prince feeling giddy, if only scarcely.

"You're welcome."

* * *

" _Please_ tell me you're not thinking what I think you are. Sure, you're not the brightest pick of the litter, but you can't be _that_ dull."

He's embarrassed its taken him this long to finally piece everything together. I mean really, what other 'friends' could the other have been talking about?

"Sorry, but it's the best option we have."

They're standing outside the hotel's lobby doors waiting impatiently for the chauffer to pull up. The heat beams down on them mercilessly and Loki can already feel beads of water sticking to the nape of his neck. He wears a baseball cap drawn low over his face, not wanting to risk recognition, while Thor disguises himself with a pair of black sunglasses and a straw hat.

"What do you think they're going to do? Welcome me with open arms? I wrecked more than half of their city in the course of a week, lest you forgot."

"Just trust me."

"Trust you!? Excuse me, but at the end of the day you and I are still enemies. For all I know, you could be leading right into Fury's hands."

"That's ridiculous! Why would I go through all this, only to turn around and give you to S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"I don't know, maybe you're working your way up towards a promotion!"

Thor groans loudly, obviously weary of arguing. "Loki. Please." He's making that "kicked puppy" face again, and there's no other option but to let matter drop, at least for time being.

"Where's Mjölnir? Can't you just fly us back to New York?" he grumbles.

"Back at Stark Towers. I didn't want to raise any suspicions, and we are flying back, via Tony's private jet."

"What'd you do, steal it?"

"No." Thor can't help an eye roll. "He loaned it to me. They think I'm taking a week off in the Carribean to mourn properly in private. You know, gather my thoughts."

"Has the mortal girl you've grown so fond of fallen to her untimely demise?"

"Jane is in perfect health.  _You_ were the one I mourned for."

The car finally pulls up to the curb and the driver jumps out to open the door for the two young men. 

* * *

"I told you this was a bad idea." Loki snaps from behind Thor. Currently, he stands smack dab in the middle of The Avenger's living room, surrounded by five of the finest 'Empire State' has to offer, all poised and dangerous. To say he isn't comfortable with the given circumstances is an understatement.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Clint grits. His eyes burn with fiery contempt and Loki supposes being forced to fight your friends because your minds been taken over by an evil Norse god bent on world domination isn't something one just _gets over_.  Sheesh, earthlings are so touchy. 

"Thor, we're going to need you to get the hell out of the way." Tony adds, and Loki can hear the whirring sounds of Iron Mans hand repulsor charging up.

"Hear me out..." the warrior pleads, but Banner's starting to look a bit green in the face and he knows things are about to go from bad to worse real quick. He calls to Mjölnir, startling everyone as the hammer breaks through the wall ands lands into Thor's grip.

"My friends, I have deceived you, and for that I am truly sorry. But I will not let any harm fall upon my brother." The others regard him as if he's grown a second head, but the words hold no joke to them. "Please. I only ask you to spare a moment."

They exchange looks of apprehension before backing off, if only minutely. Thor grabs the oppurtunity, telling them all there is to know. When he's finished he can only hope for the best.

"Thor have you gone nuts? This is _Loki_ , the same Loki who not five months ago let loose a raging hordes of blue freaks right here in Manhattan." Tony gwaks. Said freak is offended.

"Yes, but his powers are limited now. He could conjure up a strong breeze at the very most." The blond reaches for the others hand, pulling it into plain view as to prove his words true.

"If he's so helpless, I say we hogtie him and give it to Fury as an early Christmas present." Hawkeye spits.

"I'll show you helpless." Loki retorts snatching his arm back and everyone, save Steve, is back on the defense in an instant.

"Enough." It's Captain America who speaks, and the tone he's using leaves no room for argument. "Thor, what happens if you're found out? If Asgard discovers what you've done?"

Thor doesn't want to take about it, but Steve's giving him 'the look' and he has no other choice.

"They'll kill me."

"You're immortal, you can't die." Natasha jumps in for the first time since the start of this big happy family reunion.

"But I can be dismembered."

Loki doesn't want to admit the wave of self-blame that washes over him, but it's nauseating. So nauseating it hurts.

"You break one little order and get chopped into bits and pieces, but Loki launches a full scale attack against them and all he has to do is take a really long nap!" Tony shouts. 

"Dark elves are _never_ something to be taken lightly Tony, but nonetheless our circumstances differ. The second I left my mother's womb, I pledged an oath of loyalty to Asgard just by the blood that pumped through my veins. It's the same for every Asgardian that's ever come to exist. By going against an official ruling given by the Allfather himself, I've broken that oath and retrospect committed treason, which is punishable _only_ by death."

"Odin would really sentence his own wife and son to execution?" Natasha sounds ill.

"If the Tribunal got wind of it, he'd have no choice, lest he risk revolt. It's the law of the land."

"It's the law of bullshit, that's what it is." Tony fumes.

"Well, we can't let Fury or S.H.I.E.L.D. find out about any of this. Ever since the last major incident (insert pointed glare in Loki's direction here) S.H.I.E.L.D.'s been in close communication with Asgard, so if they know Thor's as good as dead." Steve sighs, massaging his temples. Today's been **too** long of a day.

"Was this your plan all along Loki? Use him to trap us?" Banner growls.

"He's not the bad guy here." Thor defends.

"Fine. Jarvis prepare a room for our guest and do something about the hole in the wall will you?" Tony orders.

"Yes sir."

"Believe me, we still hate your guts" Tony scoffs turning his attention back to the Jotun prince, "but now one of our own is at stake, so we'll have to get over it. One fuck up though and..."

"Oh, thank you! You have my word, he'll be on his best behavior, better than his best behavior!" Then Thor's squeezing the life out of everyone with a bone splintering hug.

"What have we gotten into?" Steve can't help thinking to himself.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Living under the same roof as an emotionally constipated demi-god who may or may not suffer from a superiority complex doesn't turn out to be as terrible as you'd expect, at least in Tony's opinion. A little over a month and a half has passed since the accommodation and true to Thor's words Loki has yet to cause any _real_ trouble. Sure there'd been an altercation or two between Hawkeye and the young Jotun, but in all fairness Clint had been the one to instigate the fight. Though also in fairness, Loki did force him to attack one of the few people in this world who've managed to get past the assassin's hard exterior shell. Anyway, the team quickly learn that Loki + Clint ÷ no supervision = a **bad**  idea. Not to imply that the others are in any way at ease with his presence, but you can tell Loki's giving it his all, if only for Thor's sake. For that, he deserves some credit. He goes out of his way to help around the house; whether it be floors that need sweeping, dishes washing, or coffee tables dusting. And if Thor pesters him enough, he'll even go as far as to exercise his communication skills, usually with Bruce. Actually, in the course of his stay here at Stark Towers, what some would call 'friendship' and others 'cordial interaction that happens to lead to the exchange of intellect they both tend to enjoy more often than not' has developed between the two near geniuses.

When Loki's not geeking out with Banner or being made to watch reruns of 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' with Thor, he takes pleasure in trading quips of banter with Iron Man. It's more playful teasing rather than anything meant to seriously sting, but the interactions leave both parties feeling relinquished from the days stress and breathing easier. Before long, they've unknowingly become the players of an unspoken game, and though it may not be the healthiest relationship, it works. In the rare moments when they've grown tired and Loki joins Tony out on the patio for a glass of white wine, instead of insults they throw funny recollections of their childhoods back and forth. If Tony tried to tell anyone just how much of a comedian Loki actually is, so much in fact that he'll sometimes have the billionaire at the brink of tears clutching his sides, they'd think he was in desperate need for a shrink. But it's true. Tony can't remember the last time he's laughed so sincerely. It's nice. Laughter being as contagious as it is, Loki can't always help the chuckles that slip past his lips and Tony can't always help but wish life had let them meet under different circumstances because they'd have made one hell of a pair. Or maybe even more... That's where he draws the line because those are feelings he's not even remotely prepared (or willing) to deal with yet. So the two continue on reminiscing as the sun slowly disappears below the horizon. 

* * *

"Hey twinkle toes." Tony calls when Loki walks into the kitchen that morning.

Loki offers him a grunt of acknowledgment, then sets to fixing himself a bowl or cereal. Tony chuckles. A ding signaling the completion his coffee goes off, and he gets up from his laptop to satisfy his caffeine dependency for the day. Loki, who's filling his bowl with Cheerios nearby, peers over at the unattended computer screen merely in lack of anything better to do. The internet browser is opened to YouTube, a cite Loki's familiar of thanks to Thor's insistent advances to introduce him to the more media/entertainment aspects of Midgard. He scrolls down the page finding nothing that immediately catches his eye, but as he approaches the bottom, he comes across a video in suggestion bar that grabs his interest. "Ellen Tries To Make Chris Pine Cry." He recognizes one of the names, Pine, from a movie he and Thor watched a few nights ago. Star Trek, if he remembers correctly. The other, Ellen, doesn't ring any bells but he decides to give it a shot. The page loads to a new screen and Loki's glad he doesn't have to sit through an ad before the video starts. Chris and a woman with short blonde hair who he suspects to be Ellen, sit side by side on the stage as magazine pictorials of the actor slideshow on the huge monitor behind them. The two chat about how sensitive of a guy he is, and how he cries easily, and how he even cried while watching Up. Loki's seen that one with Thor too. Sad at times he'll admit, but definitely nothing worth crying over. Try telling that to Thor, supposed God of Thunder, who'd been left a blubbering mess after the flashback scene of Carl and Ellie's love story leading up to her death.  

Ellen pulls out a radio, balancing it on the armrest of her chair. A somber tune begins to play and she watches expectantly, hoping he'll be brought to tears. Alas, it's a lost cause and they move on to talk about his love life, then after his career. When the video finally over, a handful more pop up to choose from. One reads, "Ellen Scares Julia Roberts Backstage" and Loki can't resist because he's never been able to pass up a good prank.

"I don't know what you've been taught in the matters of etiquette, but down here on Earth, it's considered rude to touch someone else belongings without permission." Tony says from behind, coffee in hand.

"Silence tin man." Loki shushes.

"The nerve of some people. What are you looking at anyway?"

"Ellen."

"Ellen? You mean Ellen DeGeneres? The talk show host."

"Indeed."

"L.A.M.E." Tony exaggerates, turning his nose of up distastes.

"Doesn't seem too bad. Granted the humor aspect of it isn't one that makes you laugh out loud per say, but it does leave a grin on your face."

"Whatever. I'd rather play 'ding dong ditch' on the Hulks door."

Loki doesn't reply, and after a while Tony's eyes secretly sweeps across the screen. Before he knows it, he's pulled up a chair.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

_2 ½  Hours Later..._

When alls said and done, there's no chance they've watched any less than forty Ellen videos.

"What's up?" Steve asks casually as he enters the room. 

They both raise their heads from the computer screen eerily slowly, their eyes wide with confusion like they've just been released from a trance of some sort. 

"You know what? Forget I asked." Steve is more than a little crept out and hastily makes his retreat. The two spend the next minute or so gathering their bearings.

"Wow."

"Yeah." Tony agrees. He closes the laptop and pushes it aside like it wields magical powers that's he's hesitant unleashing the wrath of.

"Could I cook dinner tonight?" Loki request out of the blue.

"You cook?" Tony sounds genuinely surprised.

"Thor's taken a liking to the food channel lately, and there are a few recipes I thought I'd try."

"This isn't an elaborate plot to kill us off, is it?" Tony jokes.

"If that were my intention, I'd just slip a bit of arsenic in your morning batch of coffee. No need of going through the trouble of preparing a whole meal."

"You fiend! It's me your after, leave my precious coffee out of it!"

Loki grins.

"Fine. The teams overdue for a proper home cooked meal anyway, so I guess it'd be alright. No funny business though."

"Thanks." The expression on the Jotun's face says how much he means it, and Tony feels his stomach flutter.

Thor interrupts the moment, strolling into the room cheerful and delivering his trademark bone shattering hugs to the occupants.

"Thor" Loki sighs, successfully detaching the blonde oaf from his frame, "Do me a favor. Run over to the grocery store and pick  up a few things for me. I'm making dinner tonight."

"Really!? That's great!" the warrior beams.

"Yes, yes." He disregards. One man can only take so much boisterousness.

"I'll go right now." and with that Thor is out the door.

"He doesn't even have a list." Loki groans.  

* * *

One way or another, Tony ends up Loki's personal sous-chef. He handles anything involving cutting and chopping, while Loki tackles the bulk of the work. Thor will occasionally be of some assistance, but for the majority of time chooses to sit back observing contently. The music playing in the background adds to the atmosphere's laid back mood, helping the whole process flow smoothly.

Currently, Loki's working on the filling for the 'vegetable crepes', and Tony's halving cherry tomatoes for the pasta next to him. The second prince reaches around the others waist in search for the olive oil and the move Loki's face _very_ close to his own. He hopes he's not a red as he feels.

The moment passes and Loki finishes up, carrying on to start dessert. Thor's all too willing to help this time around. As they mix the ingredients, he gets the idea to take a bit of the batter and dollop it onto Loki's nose before licking the excess off his finger. Surprisingly, the other decides to indulge him, mirroring the action. Thor snickers, then proceeds to do the same to Tony. Before long, the three of them are covered from head to toe in flour and chocolate batter, but everyone's laughing and enjoying themselves so it couldn't matter less.

The finish cooking, leave to clean up, then return to set the table. When the rest of the Avengers scuffle into the dinning room, they're left speechless. There's shrimp pasta, garlic bread, tossed salad, vegetable crepes, red wine, and for the finale chocolate mouse cake. They dig in, save Clint, but Steve shoots him _the look_ and the assassin gives, stuffing the (delicious) food into his mouth bitterly. Loki's spoiled with compliments throughout the whole meal, and though his face remains placid as he responds politely to the praise, Tony sees the look of accomplishment in his eyes.

The evening comes to a close, and others go their separate ways leaving Tony and Loki, who've taken the responsibility for cleaning up, alone. 

"Thank you for what you did tonight. We all appreciate it." Tony takes a plate being offered by Loki and loads it into the dishwasher.

"You welcome and Tony...Thank you too."

"No problem." He flashes a genuine smile and the two let only the radio's hum surround them the remainder of the night.

 

♫ _You , I saw you across the room and I knew that this was gonna blossom into something beautiful._ ♫

♫ _Baby I love you, I never want to let you go. The more I think about the more I want to let you know,_ ♫

                               ♫ _that everything you do is super duper cute and I can't stand it._ ♫

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It never ceases to amazed me how I can't stand to watch some shows on t.v. but will spend literally hours watching the same show online. Anyway, here's chapter 4. Please excuse any mistakes. I'm not too sure how well it turned out because I haven't really been in the 'mood' for writing lately, but I gave it a shot.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written for a LONG time, so don't be too harsh please ^^ constructive criticism is always appreciated though.


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